Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with brown blood during spay caused by methemoglobin reductase
By Harvey, J W et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1994·Department of Physiological Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Methemoglobin reductase deficiency in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 6-month-old domestic shorthair cat was found to have brown blood during a spay surgery, which led the veterinarian to suspect a condition called methemoglobinemia. This condition occurs when the blood cannot carry oxygen properly, and in this case, it was due to a genetic issue where the cat's body couldn't produce enough of a specific enzyme needed to keep the blood healthy. The cat showed no signs of poisoning, and tests confirmed that nearly half of its blood was methemoglobin, far above the normal level. Unfortunately, this condition is congenital, meaning the cat was born with it, and it may require ongoing management.
People also search for: cat brown blood during surgery · methemoglobinemia in cats · congenital blood disorders in cats
Abstract
During ovariohysterectomy of a 6-month-old domestic shorthair cat, extravasated blood appeared brown. Methemoglobinemia was considered likely on the basis of discoloration of oxygenated blood. The absence of clinical signs of toxicosis, inability to identify a source of oxidant that could cause methemoglobinemia, and persistence of cyanotic-appearing tongue and mucous membranes in this cat made a drug-induced cause unlikely, and was suggestive of a congenital disorder. Subsequent analysis revealed 49.6% methemoglobin (normal, 0 to 1.1%), resulting from erythrocyte methemoglobin reductase deficiency (21% of normal activity).
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7698939/